Friendly Fire
by Lauralie20
Summary: Six friends fall into the Underground, where they're doomed to die at the hands of the Monsters who reside there. But they're not going down without a fight. This is the story of the Six Souls, and how they fight together as they struggle to return to their homes on the Surface. (ABANDONED)
1. Prologue

Prologue

 _Long ago, a child fell into a Mountain, and befriended the Monsters that lived Underground. That child decided to stay with the Monsters, leaving her life behind. But not all was right in the world, and the child died, leaving behind a grieving family. In the process, the Monster King's Son died, and the entire Race of Monsters went to war with the humans._

 _Many years later, a group of six friends set out on a journey to the legendary Mount Ebbott. They'd heard the ghost stories surrounding the mysterious peak. A little girl of twelve had climbed up the Mountain, and never returned. Some said that her ghost still haunts the mountain, and no-one ever set foot on its slope again. Until now._

 _The group was a diverse team, with all backgrounds and ages. A nine-year-old girl who liked to draw, and whose favorite color was light blue or cyan. An African-American lad of twelve, who was studious and shy, and had a pension for taking notes in his notebook. A ballerina, whose parents disapproved of her dancing ambition. A junior chef of nineteen, who wished to become the head of his own restaurant in time. A rebellious teen of sixteen, whose parents were a wrestler and a mechanic. And an apprentice to a police officer, who acted like a vengeful tomboy most of the time._

 _These six children would get the surprise of their lives as they accidentally fall down a large hole in the mountain. They fell, screaming, to what they thought was their deaths. But, little did they know, they were right, even though all of them survived the fall. None of them were to return to the surface._


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, guys! Firstly, a disclaimer: I don't own Undertale, or any of the characters within it. Secondly, this is the second fanfiction I've posted on this site, so I'm still fairly new at this. I'm not quite sure if this is gonna end up being the prequel to the other fanfiction or not, but who knows? I hope you guys like this, and let's get on with the story!**

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Chapter One

Cindy woke up with flowers in her ginger braids and a splitting headache underneath her cowboy hat. She opened her eyes groggily, and looked around her as she tried to remember how to sit up.

The others were just starting to wake up, too. Martin pushed up his glasses, looking bewildered and confused. Janet's tutu crackled as she sat up, her deep blue eyes wide and fearful. Zach was pushing himself to his feet, wary and alert.

They were on some sort of flower patch. Cindy struggled to her feet, almost falling over as she felt a whoosh of light-headedness. She stumbled, but kept her legs under her. She looked around. Bree was just waking up, the poor kid. Cindy stumbled over to the nine-year-old, helping her to rise. She felt Bree's silk dress bunch up under her hand, and looked the child over for injuries. She seemed alright, at least.

Sam walked stiffly over to Cindy, his kind green eyes worried. "Hey, you guys alright?" he asked quietly. Cindy took stock of herself. Other than a little shaken, she didn't seem wounded. She nodded.

"Yeah. Just got the wind driven out of me. You?" Her Southern accent was strong, and her fierce grey eyes took stock of the only adult in their party.

He nodded, his apron flying in a cool breeze. "I'm alright. I'm gonna check on the others. You and Bree wanna come?" Bree's eyes lit up, and the kid nodded vigorously. "I guess that's a yes, then. Come on."

They joined the others, who stood at the center of the room. Martin was gazing up at the ceiling, where they fell through. Cindy could almost see the calculations being made in his head. He shook his head, his jet-black hair falling into his eyes. "We're not getting back up the same way we came down, that's for sure. It's around fifty to sixty feet above us. I'm surprised we lived through the fall, actually."

Zach rubbed his knuckles, more than ready for some action. "Well, aren't you the genius? Just make us a jet-pack or something. This cave's way too boring."

Martin massaged his temples, a migraine starting to form. "It's not that simple, Zach. You may be four years older than me, but you have no idea at the physics involved to actually _make_ a jetpack, let alone the fact that we don't have any equipment for such a feat of engineering. Besides, one jetpack would only get one or two of us to the surface. We'd need five or six of the things, and even the richest of us couldn't afford that much machinery."

Zach folded his arms. "Well, how about a rocket, or a missile, or something? Just blow this mountain to bits then walk right out." Martin shook his head, his dark eyes amused and annoyed at the same time.

Cindy rolled her eyes at the boys, and pushed herself in between the two. "Hey, hey. Look, both you girls are pretty, okay? So just get over yourselves, and move on. Because there may be a way outta this hole that you haven't looked for, Zach. After all, aren't you the one always watching action movies? When someone gets trapped in by a cave-in, what always conveniently there? Why, a tunnel, of course. Now, listen up, sissies. We're gonna spread out, in search of any tunnel or chasm, or anything that might lead us outta here. Understand? Good." She pushed past the two dumbstruck boys and started in a random direction. "I'm checking over here."

She searched her part of the cave thoroughly, a hand on her holster. At fourteen, she was the youngest cop in town, and she made the best of it. After all, she'd watched some really creepy action movies herself, and who knows what kind of creatures might lurk in this cavern?

Suddenly, a call sounded from the opposite end of the cave. "I think I found something!" Was that Janet's voice? Cindy turned, marching swiftly over to Janet, who stood at the entrance to a wide tunnel.

Cindy slapped the ballerina on her back. "Good job, girl. Now, we just have to see where this thing goes, and there's only one way to find _that_ out." She beckoned the rest of the kids close. "So, here's my plan. It looks like only three of us can fit in that tunnel, so Zach, Sam, and Janet will go first, and Martin, Bree, and I will follow behind. If you guys in front find something, let us know, alright?"

Sam looked almost amused. "Hey, in the movies, aren't the oldest kids in charge? No, it's fine, I just think that cop training has turned you into a good leader, is all. Alright, gang; let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Sam, Zach, and Janet started to make their way down the tunnel. Martin, Cindy, and young Bree followed close behind. Martin had his hand on Bree, and whispered encouragement to her whenever she whimpered in fear of the dark.

Suddenly, the wave in front of them came to a jarring halt, and Cindy walked right into a frozen Janet. She backed up a bit, her grey eyes turning annoyed. "Hey, what gives?" Zach responded, in a uncharacteristically hushed tone.

"There's something up ahead." Cindy scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, thanks for the tip, Captain Obvious. Could you at least move up so the rest of us could see?" The wave moved forward a bit, and fanned out, letting Cindy get a view of what they were looking at. "Oh."

The tunnel had opened up into a room, with something moving in the middle of it. There, bouncing energetically in a breeze, was a golden flower. But an ordinary flower doesn't have a face, and _this one_ was staring at them with a creepily joyful expression on its face. Then, making most of the kids jump, the flower spoke, in a high, reedy voice.

"Oh, howdy! I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower! Boy, there's a lot of you. I bet you're new to the Underground, aren't ya? Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do!"

Zach twitched. "Uh… is it just me, or is a flower… Talking, to us?" Sam nudged him.

"I think so, Zach." He turned to the so-called Flowey. "I'm Sam. This is Zach, Janet, Bree, Martin, and Cindy. What is this place?"

Flowey smiled. "This place? Why, this is the Underground. Home of all the Monsters within this world. But don't look so scared. I'll show you how to deal with them! Ready?"

Suddenly, a weird glow filled the room, and floating hearts appeared in front of each of the children. Murmurs of awe and surprise filled the chamber as wide eyes met wide eyes. Cindy glanced at her own heart, which was a bright yellow, like the Sun. She looked about, intrigued.

"See those hearts? That's your Souls, the very culmination of your beings!" Oh, so _that's_ what the hearts are for, then. Sam's Soul was a deep, lush green, like a forest. Zach's was a fiery orange, expressing the rebellious teen perfectly. Bree's was a soft cyan, and glowed sweetly in the brightly-lit chamber. Martin's was a girlish purple, and Cindy stifled a giggle as she saw his mortified expression at having such a girlish Soul. Janet's Soul was a deep blue, like the sea, and gently pulsated as Janet stared at the floating heart with surprise and a quiet awe.

Cindy looked up as Flowey continued his spiel. "Your Souls start off weak, but can become strong if you gain a lot of LV." Zach's eyes widened at the mention of strength. Sam looked confused at the mention of LV.

"Pardon me for asking, but, uh, what's LV? Does it stand for something, or…?" Surprisingly, it was Janet that asked the question, her melodic voice sounding different as she stared questioningly at the talking flower. The flower frowned slightly at being interrupted, but allowed for the question.

"Yes, it does stand for something. It stands for LOVE, of course. LOVE is shared through little white 'friendliness pellets'. Here, I've got a few to spare, why don't you take one or two?"

Sam took a step forward. "I'll try it," he said with an encouraging smile at the flower, while the others exchanged skeptical glances behind him. "After all, what's the worst that could happen?"

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 **A/N: Well, that was difficult to write. It's SO hard to write that many characters, with each of them having their own personalities and agendas, and not have them clash or turn into sorta amalgamates of each other. If you want, please review, and any advice would go a long way!**

 **Introductions: Sam's nineteen, and he's the Green Soul of Kindness. Martin's twelve, and he's the Purple Soul of Perseverance. (try spelling that without spell check!) Bree's nine, and she's the Cyan (light blue) Soul of Patience. Janet is the Blue Soul of Integrity, while Zach's the rebellious sixteen-year-old Orange Soul of Bravery. Cindy is fourteen, and she's the righteous Yellow Soul of Justice.**

 **So, that's the main cast! Each chapter's gonna be told from another POV, and hopefully this works. I hope you enjoyed this, and have a great day/night!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Never Again. I am NEVER writing in the POV of a NINE-YEAR-OLD. Geez, that was HARD to come up with! Anyways, here's a disclaimer: I don't own Undertale, or any of the characters found within. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, which took SO LONG to write.**

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Chapter Two

Sam reached out, as a bright white pellet popped into existence. Bree leaned around Martin, trying to get a better look. She watched as Sam grabbed the white seed, her eyes widening as she held her breath with everyone else.

And then Sam screamed, letting go of the pellet almost immediately, his hand cut and bloody as he flinched away from the suddenly creepy-looking flower. The seed disappeared as Sam recoiled, looking hurt and surprised. Bree was pulled back by Cindy, who stood protectively by Bree's side.

The flower laughed, a terrifying sound, and Bree whimpered in fear. That laugh scared her. She looked up into Cindy's face, searching. Cindy's expression was one of grim fear, and she looked at the flower with horrified apprehension as it started to talk in a creepy, unfriendly way.

"YOU IDIOTS! In this world, It's kill or be killed! Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like this?!" It summoned hundreds of seeds that appeared in floating rings around them. " **DIE**."

Cindy slid in front of Bree, protecting her from the rings of seeds as they started floating towards them, shrinking their circle. Bree watched, frozen, as Cindy un-holstered her gun, a grim set to her grey eyes. Cindy shouted over her shoulder, "Hey, guys, I don't know about you, but I don't think there's any way outta this situation. Any ideas?"

Zach piped up, his eyes alight with excitement. "I say we fight our way out. This flower's got nothing on my kung-fu. And, hey, you've got the gun, so what can he do?"

Cindy scoffed. "Yeah, I've got the gun, alright. Except… I have no opening, I can't shoot him. And fighting will just get others hurt." She glanced at Bree, and Bree's eyes filled with terror as she realized what was happening.

 _Flowey's gonna hurt us._ Bree's mind went into overdrive as the thought went through her head. _And the older kids can't protect us._ She glanced about, her wide eyes scanning for any opening in the seed ring that she could use. She couldn't see anything, but maybe on the other side…? Bree pushed her way around the older kids, who stepped out of her way, muttering to themselves.

Then, there was a loud noise, and suddenly the ring of seeds disappeared. Bree pushed past Zach, who was muttering to himself, and saw the fluffiest goat imaginable, dressed in a purple robe. Bree's eyes widened, and she flung herself at the white animal, crying out, "Fluffy!" She hugged the white goat, who hesitated before slowly warming into the embrace.

Bree withdrew, and saw Cindy approach with Zach, holding her gun ready. "I don't mean ta be rude, having saved our lives an' all, but… Who and what are you?" Cindy's Southern accent made it a bit hard to understand, but the fluffy goat lady seemed to get what the young cop was saying.

"My name is Toriel, and I am the caretaker of the Ruins. Do not be afraid, children. I would never do something as awful as what that terrible creature was planning to do to you. Torturing such poor, innocent youths, what evil has this world come to?" She glanced down at Bree, who was beaming up at the nice goat lady. "And who might you children be?"

Cindy reluctantly holstered her gun, her worried eyes on Bree, who ignored her. "Well, uh, I'm Cindy, and this is Zach." The others moved to stand alongside her. "That's Martin, with the glasses, and Janet's the ballerina. Sam's the oldest of us, and I think Bree's taken a liking to ya already." She gestured to the nine-year-old, who smiled charmingly at the goat lady, who smiled comfortingly back. "But, uh, what are you, exactly, and where have we landed ourselves? 'Cause this ain't home anymore, I'm sure of that much."

Toriel nodded to each of the kids as they were introduced, then turned back to Cindy. "Very well, I guess an explanation is in order. You see, I am a monster, as are all of the inhabitants of the Underground. We're sealed underneath a large mountain, which is where I assume you… fell down to our level."

Suddenly, Bree piped up. "You saved us, fluffy!" Her eyes shone with awe as she looked up at Toriel. Toriel blinked, and stared at the nine-year-old with surprise.

"I… guess I did, yes. After all, if I hadn't interrupted, that flower would have…" she looked down. "You must be confused as to why he tried to hurt you like that. I will try to explain to the best of my ability. If you would, please follow me, and I will tell you the history of my kind as I guide you through the Ruins." She turned, and the children followed her warily.

"We monsters haven't always lived below the ground. Once, we dwelled on the Surface, the equals to your kind. But the humans feared us, and thus waged war on our race. We… lost, and the humans drove us down here, where they sealed us with a magic barrier. No monster can leave this place. Asgore, our king, became enraged at the humans, and decided to wage his own war against humanity. Any human who falls down here must be slain, and their Souls must be brought before the king. Ever since, we monsters have been vigilant, but no human has fallen down to the Underground. Until now, that is." Toriel paused, and the group of humans gathered around her, eyes wide and worried.

Zach spoke up first. "So, you're sayin' that all the monsters here are gonna try to fight us? Ha, I'd like to see 'em try! Cindy's got a gun, I've got my fists, an' Sam has a frying pan. We've got weapons. We can take anything you guys can dish out!"

Toriel's eyes widened. "No, child. Fighting will solve nothing in this situation. You must be kind, and spare those who wish you harm. Show them that humans don't need to die. That not all of your kind are evil. Then, you will prevail, and Asgore may let you leave this place." She took a deep breath. "For now, though, let me show you how the Underground works. In order to move from room to room, you will have to solve different and difficult puzzles. Here, allow me."

Toriel showed the children how to activate a puzzle, as well as how to solve it. Martin and Sam paid close attention, while Cindy and Zach lagged near the back and zoned out for most of the lecture. Bree just stood and watched in young amazement as the fluffy goat lady make platforms disappear and doors open from far away.

Afterwards, Martin and Sam got to pull a couple levers, to show their understanding. Sam even let Bree help a little, and Janet held her hand as they crossed a spike-ridden bridge.

Then, there was a long corridor. Toriel made them pause, and explained what needed to be done. "I'm afraid I must leave you for now," she said. "Do not worry, but you must cross this hall on your own. Please do not speak with each other. Forgive me for this." She turned and disappeared down the hall. The kids looked at one another.

"She's pulling our legs, right? This ain't much of a challenge." Zach scoffed. "I do things like explode barrels and ride motorcycles, and she wants us to WALK DOWN A HALL ON OUR OWN? Ooh, I'm SCARED. Not."

Janet seemed more observant. "Perhaps this is some sort of test? Like, an invisible maze, or enemies that we have to fight on our own, to test our strength?"

Martin nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Or perhaps we have to solve a series of difficult puzzles on our own, without the aid of our friends?"

Cindy seemed distrustful, however. "This _could_ be a trap, y'know? She could just kill us at any time, and give our Souls to this Asgore guy."

Sam disagreed, turning on Cindy with a small frown. "What? She's been kind and trusting, guiding us through the Ruins, and you _still_ don't trust her? She saved us, for God's sake!"

Janet rubbed her chin. "Toriel _did_ say that the king decreed that any human that fell down here had to die, right? So, if she's a subject of this Asgore's kingdom, she has to kill us, or be faced with charges of treason."

Zach stepped forward. "Yeah, and she didn't seem like the type who'd disregard direct orders, y'know? She's _tame_ , but she could probably get _fierce_ , if we push her. That said, she hasn't killed us yet, so who knows? Anyways, we'd best get going. Unless ya wanna stay down here for eternity, that is." He started walking.

Bree followed, eyes wide. "Zach, what's going on?" Janet hurried over to Bree's side.

"Shush, Bree. Let's play the Quiet Game, alright? The first to talk loses." Bree readily agreed, nodding her head vigorously. "Okay, ready? 3, 2, 1… Quiet!" The hall became eerily quiet as the rest of the group started walking as well.

They reached the end of the hall presently, and Toriel appeared from behind a column. "Greetings, children. Do not worry, I did not leave you. I was merely behind this pillar the whole time. Thank you for trusting me."

The kids glanced at each other, sharing looks. Zach spoke up. "Wait a minute. If you were behind that thing the whole time, then why'd you have us do this in the first place? Why leave us, with NO explanation, and order us to basically ignore each other?"

Toriel raised her eyebrows. "There was an important reason for this exercise: to test your independence. I must attend to some business, and you must stay here for a while. Please remain here, as it is dangerous to explore this area without my guidance." She thought for a moment. "But, you must feel frightened, to be left alone in this strange place by yourselves… Ah! I have an idea. I will give each of you a cell phone. If you have need of anything, just call. Be good, alright?" With that, she turned and strode away, her purple robes disappearing around a corner.

Martin handed out the phones, even giving one to Bree, who had no idea how to use a cell phone. Janet got down and showed the young child how to call someone on the phone. Martin tried to call his parents, to see if Surface connections worked in the Underground. No-one picked up.

Zach yawned. "Well, I'm not waiting for Goat Lady to come back. Let's go exploring." Sam grabbed hold of Zach's arm, preventing him from running off.

"Hold up there, Zach. What if Toriel returns and finds us gone? And besides, we're new to this place, as the flower saw right away. We could get separated and lost. No, I think we should stay here, and wait for Toriel to come back."

Martin agreed. "She said that it was dangerous to go exploring anyways. There's bound to be some monsters around here, and they're not going to be all that friendly once they find out we're human. And there could be puzzles up ahead that Toriel hasn't explained yet."

Janet stood up, facing Martin. "You're the genius, Martin. You'll probably figure out any puzzles we come across, _if_ we come across any." She then turned on Sam. "And we've got cell phones. If we get lost or separated, we can just call each other, or even the goat lady, if we need to. She gave us her number."

Cindy stepped forward. "I agree. We're not going to last long in here if we don't explore and try to find our way out. But on the flip side, I also agree that we need to be here in case Toriel comes back. So maybe we can compromise. Have one or two people stay behind, and have the main party explore ahead. If we run into any issues, we can contact the group that stayed behind."

The others gave Cindy approving looks. Zach smiled at Cindy. "Yeah! I knew we brought the cop along for a reason!"

Sam snorted. "Yeah, so that when you end up getting us in trouble, we can have Cindy arrest you and cuff you to a table." The others laughed, and Zach glared daggers at the nineteen-year-old. "I like Cindy's plan, though. Who's staying here?"

No-one raised their hands. Or, at least, no-one that Sam saw raised their hands. Just as he was about to say something, Bree piped up. "I'll stay." Everyone looked at her in surprise. "I don't understand everything that's going on, but I get some of it. You need lookouts, like when playing Pirates. I can be the lookout, and you guys can go ashore and find the treasure."

Janet and Sam exchanged looks. Janet kneeled down next to Bree. "Are you sure, Kitten? Do you want anyone to stay with you, and keep you company?"

Bree shook her head. "You, Cindy, and Zach really want to go and explore. Sam and Martin kinda want to go, but are scared. I'm not scared, but I don't want to go. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll just sit here and wait for you guys to come back."

Janet glanced at the others. "What do you say, guys? I'm okay with staying with her, if you want, but if she doesn't need us, then she'd be a good… lookout."

Sam hesitated. "She's your responsibility. If she gets hurt, somehow, or comes after us and gets lost, you're going to have to explain it to her parents. But, she's nine years old. When I was that age, I was babysitting my twin sisters. I think she'll be okay. She knows how to work the phone, right? How to get in contact with each of us and Toriel?"

Janet nodded. She turned to Bree. "If the nice goat lady comes back, you call us, okay? And if anyone or anything comes near you, you call us right away, got it?" Bree nodded, her face uncharacteristically mature. "Alright." Janet turned back to the group. "I think she's good to go. Any other thoughts, opinions, or objections?"

Zach piped up. "I just want you to know how stupid I think this is, leaving lookout duty to a kid like this."

Sam gestured to Zach. "Duly noted," he muttered in a sarcastic tone. "Anyone else?" No-one spoke up. "Alright, it's decided. Bree, you stay here, while the rest of us explore the Ruins." He stepped forward a bit. "Everyone ready?"

Janet stood up, looking around. "I think we are." Nods from everyone else agreed. "Okay, let's go." And on they went, five youngsters exploring the Underground. Bree sat on the ground, patiently waiting for their return.

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 **A/N: Like I said, never, EVER again will I write in Bree's perspective. It's SO hard, trying to get into the head of a NINE YEAR OLD CHILD. All the others are fine, but Bree?! Yeah, NEVER. AGAIN. Anyways, Review Time!**

 **JaedDragon777: Yeah, Sam's very trusting, but that's one of his weaknesses. I'm glad you like this story, although I'm sorry for the long wait, if you even read this. You've no idea how much writer's block was in my head as I was trying to write this chapter.**

 **Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. I'll try to update this story semi-regularly, but I don't promise anything there. Have a great day or night!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry, sorry! I know, it's been a LONG time, but this is my secondary story, and my other fanfic has priority over this one. I'm sorry, but that's just how it works. Also, disclaimer: I don't own Undertale. Now that we have those out of the way, let's get on with the story.**

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Chapter Three

Janet's tutu rustled as she followed the others around a bend in the path. So far, the exploring part wasn't all that exciting, and they hadn't found anything except a spider bake sale and some candy, which they shared.

Suddenly, Janet's phone rang. Janet called for a halt as she accepted the call, putting the phone to her ear. At first, there was nothing on the other end except heavy breathing, and then she heard the screams.

"Janet! Somebody! HELLLP MEEE!" The phone vibrated with the sheer volume of the screams and their desperate terror. Janet's eyes widened.

"Bree? Is that you? Is everything okay?" Sam and the others glanced at her worriedly as Janet's tone rose. "What's going on?"

Nothing responded except a wordless scream that made Janet jump, and then an eerie silence. Janet looked at the phone, snapped it shut, and turned to the others. "Bree's in trouble. Come with me or not; I don't care. I'm going back." She turned and ran back the way they came. The others exchanged scared looks before following, their feet pounding on the purple trails as they rushed back with Janet.

What took half an hour to explore at a leisurely pace took ten minutes to retrace at a searing sprint. Soon, Janet and the group were skidding around the last corner. Janet ran a few steps more, and, upon seeing the scene before her, came screeching to a halt, making the rest tumble to a stop behind her. Janet's eyes widened and her whole body froze for a few agonizing moments, and then she ran wailing over to the scene.

Bree lay not far away, her eyes frozen in terror. Blood blossomed from her chest, a puddle forming on the floor. Toriel knelt next to the child's body, her head bowed and her hands bloody. Janet rushed over, her eyes wide with shock, and pushed the goat lady away. She collapsed next to Bree, and held her broken body in her arms, giant sobs and little hiccups wracking her body. "Bree… No… No…." She wailed her grief, her voice cracking.

The others formed a somber circle around the body. Janet ignored them, focusing on her grief and the fact that the innocent, sweet little Bree she had been responsible for was no more, her life gone in an instant.

Janet heard a click, and looked up in surprise to see Cindy pointing her gun at Toriel, who looked shocked and saddened. "You," Cindy breathed in a tearful voice. "You killed her. You killed Bree. You're nothing but a murderer, you goat _monster_." She took a deep breath, her hands shaking. Her accent was deeply Southern, fueled by the rage and grief that held the whole group.

Cindy hesitated. "Where we come from, murderers are either killed or locked up. But… there's always a trial first, and I want to do this the right way." She gestured with her gun to the others. "What do you guys think? Is the goat lady innocent or guilty, and, if she's guilty, what should we do with her? Should we lock her up, or should I pull the trigger?" Her voice shook as she said those last words.

Zach stepped forward, standing by Cindy's side. "She's guilty, alright. Look at all the blood on her hands. And there's only one thing we can do, to keep her from following her bloody killing spree. We have to kill her, and prevent anyone else from falling prey to her motherly antics." He glared at Toriel. "I never bought your attitude anyways, lady. You're too nice."

Sam's eyes widened, and he walked forward. "Woah, woah, woah. Let's not be too hasty, here. Sure, she's probably guilty, but there's no reason to _kill_ her over it. Why don't we find a nice cage and lock her up in that? Besides, Cindy's got handcuffs, right?" Cindy nodded, keeping her eyes on Toriel, who looked very worried. "Right, then. We should cuff her and lock her up. There's no need for anyone else to die, here."

Martin silently walked over to where Janet knelt with Bree. He gestured to Bree's body. "Can… can I?" Janet nodded, and allowed Martin to approach. He adjusted his glasses and knelt, studying the cadaver. He wrote something down in his notebook, twisted Bree this way and that, and ran his fingers along a gash on her chest. He then stood, facing the group as he finished his notes.

"I… I don't think Toriel did it, actually," Martin claimed. The others turned to regard Martin with surprise and disappointment. "I… I mean," he added hastily, "Look at the… the body. It's not burnt, suggesting that she wasn't killed with fire, while Toriel seems to use fire magic as her primary attack. Also, the gashes on her chest indicate that some sort of clawed creature about her height killed her. Toriel doesn't have claws, and she's easily twice Bree's size. I think Toriel is innocent."

Zach rolled his eyes. "Okay, you nerd," he retorted, "if you're so smart, how about you tell us who killed her, exactly, and why the goat lady has Bree's blood all over her."

Martin hesitated. "I cannot tell who killed Bree, as I have not seen anything that fits the description I have given. And… I do not know why Toriel has Bree's blood on her hands, but it may be that she was just investigating the… the body, before we got here."

Cindy sighed. "Before we get you two in a fight, let's move on. Martin's voted, so who's left?"

Janet hesitated, then carefully stood, letting Bree's head fall slowly to the floor. "I know it was Toriel who killed Bree," she began, "but I don't think it's right to kill her over it. Bree had taken a liking to her, you know, and I don't think she would have wanted her to die. Besides, hate begets more hate, and death should not do the same. One death has already happened. Let's not have another on our consciences. So, I agree with Sam. Let's lock her up."

Cindy breathed deeply. "Well said, Janet. I, too, know that this goat lady killed Bree. But I don't think it's right to kill her. I've got cuffs. Let's use them and lock her up."

Sam stepped forward. "It's decided, then. Toriel, you are hereby found guilty of murdering Bree Summers, and you have been sentenced to imprisonment."

Cindy smirked. "You stole my line, Chef." She sobered, and holstered her gun. Toriel's head fell in resignation as Cindy reached into her pockets and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "Put your hands out in front of you, miss. You are under arrest."

Cindy cuffed the goat lady, then, keeping a hand on her elbow, the apprentice cop turned to regard the others. "Uh… where are we locking her up, by chance? I have no idea."

Martin chirped up. "I saw a cage not far from here, in one of the niches that we fell down into. With some help, I could drag it up to our level." Sam offered to help get the cage, and the group, now including Toriel, marched off. Janet held Bree's body in her arms during the procession, and no-one said a word.

A few minutes passed in somber silence, but then the procession came to a screeching halt when a large frog-like creature hopped out in front of the group with a belch-like croak. The children stared in surprise at the creature, and Zach was the first to point out the obvious.

"What the hell is that thing? It's the largest frog I've ever seen!" Toriel gave him a hard look, before stepping forward fearlessly.

"That, my friend, is a Froggit." She turned to the Froggit. "Hello, Mr. Froggit. You look very nice today." The Froggit blushed, croaked, and hopped away. Toriel turned back to the children. "As you saw, it is easy to deal with most of the inhabitants of the Ruins. All you have to do is compliment them and generally be a nice, caring person." She glared at Zach. "Although for _some_ of you this could pose a challenge, I have high expectations for all of you."

Sam stepped forward, putting a protective hand on Zach's shoulder. "It's okay, ma'am. I'll keep the others in check, even if it's sometimes _really difficult_." He dug his nails into Zach's shoulder momentarily for effect. Zach winced as Sam let go. "But, for right now, I think it won't be too hard, right?" Sam glanced meaningfully at Zach.

Zach rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, I got the hint already. Yeah, yeah, I won't go punching anything and everything that moves. Okay?" He crossed his arms impatiently. "Now, are we going to continue, or are we just going to stand here all day like idiots?"

Cindy nodded at Zach. "Right, let's go." And on they went, Janet the most silent and somber of their party.

Presently, they came upon the room where the cage was stored below. The main group waited while Sam and Martin retrieved the cage. Janet heard the distant sounds of metal scraping the floor, as well as the grunts of the two boys as they tried to move the heavy metal cage up to the ground level.

Soon, the cage was dragged up, and Sam and Martin appeared with it, sweaty and panting with the effort. Martin gulped. "This… this thing is heavier… than it looks." Cindy just rolled her eyes, escorting Toriel over to the cage, which the boys pulled open before stepping back.

Janet watched in silence as Cindy turned Toriel around until she was facing the children. "Do you have anything to say in your defense, before we lock you up?" Cindy's voice was quieter than usual, but it carried throughout the room. Toriel lowered her head, sighing.

"I know you all think I killed that child. But, I assure you, I did not. I, myself, have lost a child, a long time ago. I would not wish that feeling upon anyone, not even a human. No, I was just coming back from some errands, and heard the scream." Toriel looked up. "I ran, scared that something had happened. But when I got there, it was already too late." She hung her head again.

"I tried t examine the body, like the darker child did." Martin, who'd been writing all this down in his notebook, looked up sharply. His eyes glinted with a sudden rush of anger.

"Don't ever call me that," he snapped. "I'm on your side, for now, but don't ever, **ever** call me that again. Or else." He blushed as the others turned to regard him with surprise. He looked down at his notebook. "Um… continue, please."

Toriel nodded to him. "Very well. As I was saying, I examined the body. I am familiar with this place and its inhabitants, and thus I know which monsters have claws and which don't. I… I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think it was the Loox that killed the child." She breathed in deeply. "May her spirit rest in peace, like my little Asriel." Unshed tears sparkled in Toriel's eyes.

Martin continued writing for a moment, then said, "Did you see any… anyone fleeing the scene?" Toriel shook her head sadly. "I thought so." He wrote something down in his notebook and closed it. "Thank you." Toriel nodded, respect in her eyes.

Cindy sighed. "If that is all…?" Toriel nodded, and Cindy gestured to the others. No-one stepped forward, and Cindy bowed her head. "Very well. If you would, then, miss, step into the cage and face your sentence." Toriel turned, silently shedding her tears, and the cage closed behind her. Cindy locked it, a frown on her face.

Toriel took a deep, shuddering breath as the children prepared to leave. "Be safe, my children," she muttered. Janet looked back, her heart heavy, and looked Toriel dead in the eye. For a moment, they just looked at each other, monster and human, and then Janet walked away, the rest of the kids following her silently as they continued their journey.

* * *

 **A/N: Again, sorry for the long delay, but... I can't help it. I was going to make this chapter longer, but that last paragraph felt like a REALLY good place to end it. So, for now, the chapters are going to be a little shorter, but hopefully, as the story develops, the chapters will get longer. Anyways, Review Time!**

 **dream1990: Sorry, but I can't do Bree's perspective anymore. Not only is it difficult and frustrating, but I needed her to die here, so that can't work out. It's good that you like the character, though. Maybe, near the end of the story, I could do a chapter detailing what it's like to be dead as the human Souls. But, until then, you're not going to see Bree anymore. Sorry.**

 **JaedDragon777: yeah, Bree IS kinda cute, isn't she? Must be that youth in her... Anyways, I just thought the long hallway was a good place because that's where Toriel (aka protection against monsters) leaves you, and she wants you to wait for her to come back. Being the Soul of Patience, Bree's perfect for that role. Also, about her things...The killer took them, and then lost them on the way out of the Ruins. Janet was too obsessed with Bree's death to notice, but her toy knife and hair ribbon are already gone.**

 **Insert a Catchy Penname Here: Thank you! Yeah, I really didn't see the resemblance between Grouptale and this one until you pointed it out. Fun fact: I've never actually read the Grouptale fanfic. I was just inspired by a video on Youtube called "The Thought Movie". Also, I am really bad at subtlety, so that's why I'm outright stating a bunch of stuff. But, I can still try to be subtle... I just fail miserably, like in this chapter. But, again, thank you for the praise. I did try to give the Souls some actual character and life, and I'm glad you can see that. At least I'm good at SOMETHING, then.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and have a great day (or night)!**


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